


Build-a-Bouquet

by QuarkInShiningArmour



Series: Ironstrange Florist AU [1]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Florist AU, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 19:20:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16125035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuarkInShiningArmour/pseuds/QuarkInShiningArmour
Summary: Tony is on his way to an engagement party when an unusual flower shop catches his eye, and he soon finds that the florist is even more intriguing.In which Strange's a florist bc that's a trope that belongs to the gays, right?





	Build-a-Bouquet

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt I got sent of Tumblr, if you want to follow me, or send prompts and asks, find me @goddessofgamma
> 
> My first Ironstrange fic so please be kind!!

Tony’s morning could have gone better.  He’d managed a grand total of two hours of sleep the night before and somehow was still late for meeting Rhodey, his friend who only just got back from a five-month military tour.  Thankfully, Rhodey knew him well enough that he’d anticipated Tony’s inability to stick to his schedule and he hadn’t minded, but it still left him starting out on the wrong foot. 

This afternoon he was heading Bruce’s engagement dinner.  His best partner in science had finally found someone to care about him and treat him right.  The way that Bruce and Thor were together was so sweet it verged on nauseating, but if pushed, Tony would have admitted he was happy for them.  

Rushing down the street on the way Thor’s enormous apartment, Tony’s eye was caught by a wide, circular window, embellished with a symbol that looked like a diagonal ‘H’, with a view to the wildest and most outlandish display of plants Tony had seen in years.   _Flowers.  That’s something you’re supposed to give to engaged people._

He turned into the door, reading the art-nouveau sign that read ‘The Sanctum’ overhead.  Some chimes lightly shuffled as the door creaked open. A man was over by the window display with sleek black hair and severely cut beard to match.  Tony had maybe let his gaze rest over the man’s cheekbones a little too long when he was addressed with the clearing of his throat.

“Welcome to the Sanctum, is there anything I could help you with?” The man looked Tony up and down, as if assessing him.  Tony was struck by his voice; it wasn’t a customer service, put-on voice, he sounded commanding even though he was offering help.

“’The Sanctum’? Isn’t that a bit more Wizarding World than flower shop?”

“This shop has existed for over a century, so I can assure you that any resemblance to more recent popular culture is purely co-incidental.”   _Quick wit_ , Tony thought.  He couldn’t decide if he found it annoying or intriguing.  

“Your whole look is very…” He gestured to the man trying to think of the word.  “Like a magician I’d book for my niece’s birthday.  If I had a niece.”  The florist had an odd way of dressing, all silks and odd collars, but Tony would be lying if he said he disliked it.  He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t noticed that the colour of his silk shirt matched his eyes exactly.  Tony hadn’t thought wizard-looking men was something he was into but judging by the way he found himself getting a little hot just talking to this man, he thought it may be something he should explore.

Turning so he could look an array of mix-and-match flowers, Tony tried to regain his focus on the task at hand.  

“Not that that’s a bad thing,” Tony continued.  “I’m sure if you keep up with the latest issues of ‘Witch Weekly’ your fashion sense will be better than mine.”

“Better fashion sense than your two-hundred-dollar tracksuit look?”  He looked Tony up and down as he said it, and Tony could have sworn his eyes lingered on his ass.  “Not sure that’s possible.”  He walked over to stand next to Tony and the build-your-own-bouquet display.  “Would you like any help picking the flowers?”

Tony dismissed him with the wave of his hand and picked up one of the disposable vases by the side of the display.  He stuffed a few different types of flowers in, whatever took his fancy.  Some purple flowers, because Thor always said that green and purple looked good together, a sunflower, because Bruce always compared Thor to the sun.  He stuck some orange blossom because its sign said it was supposed to represent purity, and, until the wedding night, Tony would absolutely maintain that Bruce was a pure, unsoiled maiden.

By the time Tony had filled the vase it was filled with every type, every colour and shape of flower under the sun.  And it was a mess.  The colours clashed, the flowers were facing different directions, some of the leaves were obscuring the view of some flowers, some had stalks that were too short or too long.  He looked down, a bit despondent.

“I think I’m gonna have to buy some of the pre-prepared bouquets.  Don’t worry, I’ll pay for this mess as well.”

He went to hand the florist the failed bouquet, but noticed his hands were shaking, and that there were scar lines tracing his bones.  Instead, he placed the vase on the shop counter, not wanting to hand something over directly to him without knowing whether the florist would be comfortably able to do that.

The florist walked over to the counter, and Tony walked over to the display of ready-made bouquets.  Tony could hear some rustling behind him and assumed the florist was sorting out some things behind the counter.

“What’s the occasion?”

“Err, some friends of mine just got engaged.  I’ve known one of them since forever, and his boyfriend –“  He corrected himself, and could hear the florist stop, his attention piqued as he paused.  “His fiancé is a nice guy too.  A little brawny for my tastes, but hey, each to their own.”

“And what is to your taste?” The florist was almost smooth enough that it hid the genuine interest in his voice.   _Time to make him blush,_ Tony thought.

“Oh, you know,” He began. “I like tall guys, dark hair.  Not too muscly, lean figure but with enough strength that they can pin me against the wall.”  Tony heard that the florist had stopped whatever he’d been doing now, focusing only on Tony’s words.  “Facial hair’s a plus, quick witted and piercing eyes.  And then there’s my liking for guys who have an out-of-the-box sense of style.”

“Sounds like you have something very specific you’re looking for.”  Tony turned back around to face him, and when their eyes met he could swear he could feel heat radiating between them.  They held their gaze for a few seconds, before Tony’s eye was caught by the bouquet on the counter.

It was made with all the flowers he’d picked up, a jumble of different colours and shapes and sizes, but somehow, the florist had made it look beautiful.  Instead of having the colours mismatched, he’d organised them, so the colours were grouped to form a rainbow.

“How did you do that?” Tony asked, dumbfounded.

“Magic,” the florist replied, a subtle, smug smile on his face.

Tony paid and was thinking about how he really should rush off if he didn’t want to be late, but he had to ask.

“What’s your name?”

“Stephen.  Stephen Strange,” he replied.  “You?”

“Tony Stark.”  He picked up the bag with the flowers in it as he made to leave the shop.  “Good to meet you, Strange.”

“And you.”  There was something in Stephen’s voice that almost said it wouldn’t be the last time they would see each other.  

Tony was halfway to Thor’s apartment when he noticed a note written on the paper bag.

It was a phone number, captioned with the message:  _For if you really want to see if I’m your type,_  and signed with his name.  

Tony felt his heart beat just a little faster.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you guys think?  
> I live for comments and I love y'all.


End file.
